This is Nancy Jones Buice and her husband Phillip Buice.  she has done a large amount of research on the Jones family or the Forsyth County, and the Alpharetta area.  About 20 years ago we used to exchange genealogy information often.

Her maiden name is Jones.  She grew up with in a Jones neighborhood with uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins living all around her.

My late mother-in-law Marie had many things she had picked up and held on to through the years.  Two of the things were poster size pictures of Anna, Nancy, and Marie's  Jones ancestors, William C. "Buck" Jones and Elizabeth Brown Jones.  Both pictures have identical classic wood frames.  We do not have wall space for the two pictures.

I wanted to give them to somebody who would appreciate them, so I dug up Nancy's number and offered them to her.  They came over to Marie's house  a few weeks after I called and loved the pictures.

Also while they were there I  gave them other genealogical information about the Jones family; mostly newspaper clippings.

I think getting those big framed pictures and the genealogical folders on the Jones made their day. 

Copies of the poster size pictures they received:

Yikes! Is it Skyps?

We just talked with and looked at Baby Benjamin, Sabrina, and Rocky with Facetime on our ipads for the first time.  I think Facetime is something like Skype.  It was an enjoyable experience and also amusing.

What was amusing was we could see them on most of the full screen, but in the top left corner we could see us, as I suppose like  how they see us.  Being in the top left corner our live images were on top of a cabinet  or something.  It looked strange, like two uninvited and unseen guests hiding in the corner behind a cabinet.  Or maybe two hand puppets with the puppeteer hiding behind the cabinet.

Marie's Postcards, Jackson Sq in French Quarter

Marie's Postcard Collection.  The front of this card states:  "JACKSON SQUARE IN THE FRENCH QUARTERS, NEW ORLEANS, LA."

Shouldn't it be "Jackson's Circle"?

click on picture to be able to read little labels.

Mrs. Ashford -Dunwoody and her Merry Troupe

In my formative years in metro Atlanta I learned the local celebrities  were Bert Parks, Bob Van Camp, Boots Woodall and the Peachtee Cowboys, Ruth Kent, Xavier Somebody, Officer Don & his co-star Woody Willow, and last but not least, the Merry Mutes:  Dick Vandyke, Nancy and Phil Erickson.

I had a pleasant surprise the morning when leaving the dog park.  Fellow dog owner Mike and his hairy friend Glen  were coming in and told me he had something for me.  It was some Wits' End*  (*Bring Money)   paraphernalia .

One was a CD of the Wits' End's high energized fast  pace rapid songs they were so good at.  And the other was a DVD of their 25 Year Old Anniversary in Atlanta.

I listened to the CD today and a few skits and thought flows of various members of the  Wits' End cabaret.

I have written  of the Wit's End show on chicken-fat  before - here, let me skate around roughly what I said then.  The leaders were husband and wife Phil and Nancy Erickson.   And there was a young tall gawky one that would not stay with them a long time.  His name was  Dick Vandyke.  They were the MERRY MUTES  on local TV.  It was before color TV.  I can only remember them in black and white and I don't remember any  more than three of them.  As the name implied, they did a lot of Mime.   In fact, that is all they did.  If I remember correctly the show was only 15 minutes long.

When I went to work for the Atlanta News Agency my territory  covered parts of rural DeKalb and Gwinnett County.  Some place out there in the country was a farm that looked different.   I recognized their mail box, it said something like "WITS' END* - *Bring Money."  I looked forward on seeing that country house once or twice a week.  I supposed Mr. and Mrs. Phil Erickson lived there.

I got out of the Navy in 1965, for about ten years up to about 1975 about six of us Navy friends would keep the roads fairly well traveled between Marietta, Chicago, Minneapolis,  and Harrisburg, Pa.  Every time it was time for me to host I saw to it that we went to a famous park or war site, such as Stone Mountain or Kennesaw Mountain, one time around on the merry-go-round (Polaris) atop the Regency Hyatt in downtown Atlanta, and while there go to the Wits' End Cabaret Club.

It was a little solitary single storied block shape building about on something like 5th Street where it came in on Spring Street, facing the Biltmore Hotel.

I was truly amazed at the fast paced skits... after the punch line was delivered, the stage, in the middle of the floor, it seemed, was vacated for a second then  and a new skit began.

One skit I really enjoyed, even after the 3 rd or 4th time I saw it was when they played the song "They are Tearing Up Peachtree Again."  It had one of the players (not Nancy) with a construction helmet and drilling the "air" pavement with an "air" air hammer.  It was the theatrics she used... the way the imaginary air hammer shook her whole body and the helmet jumped around on top of her head.  I bellowed each time I saw it.

The time we went there Atlanta   was having a hard time accepting court ordered integration.    The Wits' End Players had a black lady (Sally Street) who played her role out proudly.  I sometime worried about their safety, they made fun of backward southern traditions with a black lady.  As far as I know they never had any violence or threats.

It was not far from the Georgia Tech campus and I think the upper classmen  probably went there often.

They moved their little theater to  Underground Atlanta when it opened,  just down the row from a bar that the famous Piano Red played at.  We went to see them one time at their new location.  Shortly after that we had our first son and our whole way of life changed.

Back to present:   At the dog park a few weeks ago Joe Jenkins and I were bringing up  old local things we remembered in the area many years ago.  We lived in roughly the same areas and had roughly the same friends.  I mentioned the Wits' End* (*Bring Money) about the time Mike walked  by.

Mike said, "Wits' End?"

I first thought he had never heard of  Wits' End as a night club but as it turned out he knew more than we did.  In fact, he told us he is married to a descendent of the Ericksons.

He mentioned going up to the mountains several times.  I was curious, I asked where in north Georgia.  He said North Carolina, Macon County.

I gave Mike a "chicken-fat" card and asked him to search for Wits' End if he got a chance.  He did and shared with his kin and they gave me the gifts I mentioned in the second paragraph of this.

All I can say is "WOW!  And thank you very much!"

Click here for Nancy Erickson's Obituary

Marie's Postcards, Ft Pierce, Fla

Marie's Postcard Collection.  On the front this one says "Sailfish and Yacht Basin, Fort Pierce, Florida".  I can  almost smell the fish.

Don Wallace, Boy Scout

This is my old friend Don Wallace.   We were in Boy Scout Troop 132 together.  We have ran into each other at several Bell Reunions.  We stand together a few minutes and talk about old times in the Boy Scouts then we walk away  with me wondering, "Does he really remember me or was he just being polite?"

Marie's Post Cards. The Georgia State Capitol

Marie's Postcard Collection.  This is the Georgia State Capitol.  See the Golden Dome?   That base was made from gold that was mined in near Dahlonega, in north Georgia. That is bragging rights for our place in history  in the Trail of Tears Episode.

Salt Peter Cave Rerun

At least I am recycling:


Not long ago, I suggested to a fellow blogger who lives in the area that she should visit Saltpeter Cave just outside of Cartersville, Georgia.

I have been there several times and had adventures each time that I will remember the rest of life. After I told her about the never-ending cave I did a Google search to maybe give her some good directions and found out that just about every southern state has a cave named Salt Peter. However, when I made Salt Peter one word: SaltPeter Google narrowed the possibilities down and I found it.

Unfortunately, the Saltpeter website said it was on private property and visitors were not welcome. I thought it was just outside of Cartersville – well it is, but it is in Kingston, Georgia. I should have thought of that.

Back as teenager, probably about 14 years of age, I was in the Explorer Scouts. Our troop (or whatever the group calls themselves) went to Saltpeter Cave on a weekend and camped out outside the main entrance.

It had two entrances. The big entrance is huge, King Kong could have tossed huge new houses through the opening with plenty of room to spare. The other entrance is around the hill’s corner and high up.

The cave had never ending rooms, one after another. I was surprised at the pitched black of absolutely nothing when we all turned out our flashlights.

There seemed to be big rooms at first and got a little smaller as you went back. In one of the first big rooms was either two or three rectangle holes in the earth, about six feet deep. Were these graves? Another scout troop there were from nearby, one of the boys said he heard they were Indian graves.

Also, somewhere we heard they mined salt peter in these caves in the Civil War. I heard salt peter was an ingredient the military gave its enlisted men to keep down their sex drive. I doubt if that is true. It seemed that the fighting men would need all the raging hormones they could pull up. I also heart that salt peter was used in gun power, that seems plausible.

This cave had plenty of stalactites and stalagmites. In one room there one of each, one on top of the other, almost like a mirror image. Another one, which ever is the one that is on the floor was the size of a teepee and had a crawl entrance. I entered it and climbed down and down, maybe 20 to 25 feet, and it stopped, so did I and climbed back out.

One crawl tunnel empted out in the first room of the big opening. It opened up with maybe 8 feet below you into the room. Before you had a chance to figure out how to maneuver yourself out and down the steep wall the oozing bat shit solved the problem for you and gave you no choice. You could only side one way, down – sliding.

As the rooms got smaller one time we were wading and heard running water ahead. We were not brave enough to move more in that direction.

In little small tunnel that I had to squeeze through and opened into a larger room, I clung on to edge, because darkness was below me I came across something smooth and round. Had I found an egg of a mysterious extinct cave dwelling animal? I put it in my coat pocket for closer examination when I got into the day light.

It was a used flash bulb.

We went back there in just a few weeks but this time it was a day trip. We didn’t camp out.

In a couple of years when my friends and I became old enough to drive and enjoyed rambling on the old country roads in Georgia we went back a few times and went in the cave.

The last time I went I think I was about 17 or 18 on a Sunday. It was with Larry S., cousin Jesse, and a friend or two more. They were fascinated by the cave.

After we went into the innards of it and came back out Larry took a rope out of his trunk and went over the big mouth of the cave and tied the rope to a tree there and it dangled down over the opening.

As I type this I am wonder if this was the same rope that I hung on and vomited while lowering down the cliff above Dahlonega, Georgia (remember that blog?). Roughly same time period and same car that held the rope, same friends.

It is possible, but if so, it would have to be after the Dahlonega event because the rope was much shorter.

One at a time us boys took times grabbing the rope and swinging out into the mouth of the cave and swinging back.

The mouth of the cave, once you enter it on foot you have to be careful descending down a steep loose rock incline. The incline went so far then there is a drop off of about 15 feet. On foot, you would need to go near the outer end of the cliff where the incline continues.

Of course if you are swinging out on a rope your primary concern is not to fall.

I fell off the rope. Once airborne, swinging out in the huge mouth of the cave my hands started sliding at a rapid rate. I held harder, which burned the flesh off my hands.

I slid right off the rope and fell on the steep inclined and rolled and tumbled at a fast rate of speed towards the drop off. A out-jutting big stone stopped me.

I wished I was dead to get rid of the pain. Both hands on the inside were burning like hell, no skin, just raw red hands that blisters were forming. My bones were in pain also.

But, again, I slipped by death by a hair. I could not walk well. My friends and a couple of strangers helped me out of the mouth.

We went home, me completely absorbed in my pain and burns.

I knew the moment I realized I was in pain, that would be my last visit to Saltpeter Cave.

Bugs Bunny turned 75 Yesterday

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY DAY Bugs!

Tuba Skinny: California Woldfest Minor Drag

MINOR DRAG



Califormnia Worldfest, July 18, 2015.

This concert was on the same day as my grandson was born, not that it matters (it does to me)

Benjamin Rockwell 1 week Plus

Mama Sabrina and Benjamin

Frances, Sabrina, Benjamin, and Bonnie

Rocky and Rocky

Chong (birthday grandmother)

Chicago City and River Postcard

Marie's Postcard Collection.  This is Chicago and the Chicago River.  Anna and I took a boat tour of that River once.  It goes right by the twin round towers of Marina City, and the docent pointed out  Al Capone hangouts during prohibition, and other items of interest.  

The  docent  also told us on Saint Patrick's Day they color  the river green.  I should have asked, "And what color do they color it on Saint Valentine's Day - Red?"  

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! Crumb's I DON'T GET IT.

This is a cartoon by Robert Crumb, the name of it is "I DON'T GET IT".  Really!


click to make larger and to "get it".

Random Act of Kindness in Walmart Parking Lot

Walmart Adventure.   This evening I went to Walmart to buy a gift certificate and a birthday card.  I picked out a birthday card and a gift certificate.  I wanted to have a receipt for it all and I also wanted a print-out of the balance of the gift certificate  to go along with it.

The first cashier I went to was a lady who was currently ringing up somebody.  She was studying the key board with her fore finger circling near, ready to hit the correct key as soon as she found it.

I moved on to the next cashier.  She was ringing up some items for a customer not even looking at the keyboard.  She knew what she was doing.

Before she rang up the  birthday card and gift card up I explained what I wanted.  After she rung it up and I paid she handed me my receipt.   I asked for the one that I requested that would show the amount of  the balance of the card.

She said she never had to do that before.

She tried and tried with no luck.  She called her supervisor over and she said you can only print out the last item.   I said I have done it a lot, have the balance of the credit card balance    printed up before I give it as a gift.

The manager said, "Oh!  I see!  All  you need is a balance to put with your gift card?"

Right!

She took the new gift card and ran it on the machine.  It printed out a balance.   Good!  That's all I wanted.

Out in the parking lot next to where I parked was a big Bluto-looking guy trying to console an elderly lady crying incoherently.  He was outside the car and the old lady was inside.   Apparently  she was very hot sitting in a car with the windows rolled up and wanted whoever was taking care of her.  I think the big Bluto-looking guy was just walking by when he saw her crying.

He ran into Walmart and within minutes he and the manager rushed out towards the old lady.  About that time a woman was getting into the car with the crying elderly lady.  She looked perturbed and irritated  about people intruding. 

It does my heart good to see a person show  kindness to a stranger.

Chattanooga Old Postcards

Because of a    terrorist  tragedy, the Nation's eyes have been focused on Chattanooga , Tennessee,  the past several days.

I had relatives that lived in Chattanooga and nearby Rossville, Georgia.  It is an enjoyable place to go.  The whole town if full of places to see and things to do.

In my late mother-in-law Marie Prance's postcard collection she had a bunch of older Chattanooga postcards, which she is now sharing with you.*  Enjoy!   Life must go on.

*plus some of mine.

Minimize for Order?

Sometimes I wonder how it would be to be organized and a mini-mist. .. then I say, "Not me!"

Tuba Skinny: NEW ORLEANS BUMP

Ah cha cha!

Benjamin Hunter and his parents Sabrina and Rockky

We dropped in at Northside Hospital today to visit with Benjamin Rockwell and his parents Sabrina and Rocky.  Lookie!

All Roads Leave From The Big Chicken

All roads leave away from The Big Chicken. 

Whenever I am giving local directions to someone relatively new to Marietta  I first need to base  the direction on something they already know of.  Some big landmark.

I always ask, "Do you know where The Big Chicken is?"   Most of the time they do.  Then I build on their knowledge they already have and go from there.

If you are reading this I probably have your attention.  While I am in your face I would like to give you educate you on the Cobb County  street numbering system you might not know.

Every street or road in Cobb County has one end of it is closer to Cobb County Court House than the other end.  The end closer to the court house will have the smaller numbers and as you progress away from the courthouse the numbers will get bigger.  And the odd  numbers will be on the left traveling away from the court house and the even numbers on the right.

Take for instance The Big Chicken.  It's address is 100 North Cobb Parkway.  If there was a business across the parkway from The Big Chicken it would probably be numbered 101.  Up  North Cobb Parkway a few blocks, on the left,  across from White Water Amusement park  is a little office park and its number is 189.  See?  And on the right several more blocks on the right is J.T. Walker School with the number 700.  See?

However, what many people don't know is Cobb Parkway is/are two roads. 

Back at the Big Chicken again, if you go south you will be on a road named South Cobb Parkway, with the odd  and even numbers directly opposite than just one block north.  Why?  Because you are on a different road,.... or if you don't understand that, understand this:  JUST BECAUSE!  THAT IS WHY!

Big Bad Ben

Benjamin Rockwell Hunter

Born July 18, 2015

Son of Rockwell Tyson Hunter and Sabrina Sexton.

Campground Memorial Service

We went to Marietta Campground Meeting today.  We were invited by an old friend since the first grade Walker Gaines and his wife Darlene.  We were invited to the Annual Memorial Service giving credit for those members who had died in the past year. Marie was a member at one time  and a student at their academy when she was young.  Also through the years she has donated much to the Campground Museum Archives.  It was held under the Arbor which has been standing in one form or another since about 1838.

Before and after the service we visited with Walker and Darlene.  The cabin they owned his grandfather Brown built about a 100 years old.  Back when Cobb was young people would travel a long way to camp out  in tents near the Arbor and so to services over a 4 day period.   Traditionally they still call their cabin tents. 

Walker gave the memorial service.  He recognized about  6 to 8 people that had passed and had something nice and personal to say about all of them.  When he got to Marie, he even plugged Chicken-fat.com.

It was a nice service, especially the plugging part.

Other Campground Methodists, A.K.A. East Cobb Methodists I ran into that I know:

Sheryl Lassister

Fellow Local Historian Wannabe

Ron Phillips, We both attended Waterman Street School and MHS 

Gene Phillips, brother of Ron, and same description. 

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! EC Sci Fi RIGHT ON THE BUTTON

This was probably written or stolen by editor Al Feldstein and illustrated by MAD artist Will Elder.